Hi
I have a particle electron and am having trouble with reception the unit appers to not get the same reception as my phone but it does connect to the network but it dropped out and wont reconnect it was working for about a month and now wont connect and was looking for a better areial, I am wondering if this would be the right antenna to help, GSM Antenna with Magnetic Base (3m)
SKU: FIT0453
It has a U.FL connector so will need a SMA adaptor,
I am just after a bit of info if this is better than the one that is supplied with the electron 3g
It covers the frequency ranges fully that you need. I’m not sure what the specs are on the standard particle, but the particle is using 850/1900 MHZ and the GSM antenna operates at 900/1800 MHZ. I think this could be enough of a difference to affect performance but I could be wrong.
The included antenna with the Electron kit is much the same as the Pycom variant that Stephen linked. It would be worth taking a closer look at the antenna for physical damage, notably the u.FL connector. Nicks and bends can RF quality.
If you can’t see any physical damage then perhaps grab a second Antenna, just in case there is physical damage that’s hard to see from the outside. It’s a nice half-split test that’s easier than trying with another Particle Electron.
Another option is to take the device to a known tower location and see if it reconnects.
If it does reconnect nearby a tower, then bear in mind that RF can be tricky; to the point where factors such as seasonal changes can influence it. For example, we’re moving into Spring in Australia, and trees are filling out with leaves, which have a fair amount of water in them. That could be enough to reduce performance of something that was on the cusp, if the conditions suited.
Hopefully you’ve got enough tips to get some fault finding underway!
I have the standard antenna, it was band new, but also have another kit makes no difference either one I use,
I have done similar to what graham said, when I first connected the unit I had to move it and connected it with the battery to get signal,then put it back where I needed it, as I was working fine but it dropped out or restarted and here is my issue, hence wanting a different aerial or something stronger
If you were able to establish a connection by moving the device elsewhere, then it sounds like either the signal RSSI or SNR is right on the cusp of usable. Does the other electron work in the target location? If so, when you put the original one back in place does it then work (as often the case with RF!)
If the other Electron works then you’re perhaps right on the cusp of useable signal (be it TX or RX). It might be best to source a 3-6dBi whip/duck antenna as the PCB variants are around 2dBi.
I cant tell as the other one was 2g, the new one is 3g but has the same antenna, in don’t no much about aerials or strength, I had a quick google and came up with a few but i think the 3g electron has quite a wide range of frequency the one i found don’t look like they go the full range
a lot look like uhf aerials
sorry for all the questions
